Supported File Formats by MDA V8
For measure files, the following file formats are supported:
MDA V8 can read and write all versions of the MDF (Measurement Data Format) file format:
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ASAM MDF V4 format (*.mdf
This file is a binary file format for measurement data (MDF). This format is used to store, exchange and analyze measure data for automotive system development purposes. MDF files contain so-called meta-information like user, company, project, file comments etc.
Typically for MDF format version V3.x the file extension *.dat is used. For MDF format version V4.x, the file extensions *.mdf or *.mf4 are used., *.mf4 This file is a binary file format for measurement data (MDF). This format is used to store, exchange and analyze measure data for automotive system development purposes. MDF files contain so-called meta-information like user, company, project, file comments etc.
Typically for MDF format version V3.x the file extension *.dat is used. For MDF format version V4.x, the file extensions *.mdf or *.mf4 are used.)
These formats offer efficient and high performance storage of huge amounts of measurement data. Especially ASAM MDF V4 supports the indexation (see Indication of File Index Status) and compression of measure data in line with the ASAM (Association for Standardization of Automation and Measuring Systems) standard. If the MDF file contains CAN bus trace data see Loading Bus Trace Files (BLF, ASCII, MDF). The file format allows storage of raw measurement values and all necessary meta information for its interpretation (see Measure File Comment and Other Meta Information).
For a measure file in MDF format, MDA calculates an additional signal named $DateTime from the start of recording. It can be used like other recorded event signals and allows to read the absolute date and time information, e.g. in the cursor tooltip of the oscilloscope or in the column of a table instrument. Note that if the recording was interrupted by a Pause event, the date and time information after the pause event will be incorrect.
MDA V8 additionally supports only specific format dialects of MATLAB®.
ASCII ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) stands for a textual measure file format. It contains one timeline and for each signal at every time stamp a value, if needed an interpolated one.-based file formats are usable when exchanging signal data between tools which have no other common file format. Such files contain for the signals only physical data, and are not defined to include as much meta information as MDF files. Moreover, when using textual file formats the tool performance is not as high as with MDF files.
MDA V8 supports a variety of textual measure file formats. There are basically two different format variants for handling multiple rates also known as data groups.
Multirate file formats (DXL and INCA dialect)
DXL DXL stands for a textual measure file format. It contains only real data, i.e. only data that has actually been recorded, and no interpolated data. (ASCII Multi Rate V4.0)
The advantage of a multirate file format is that it contains only real data, i.e. only data that has actually been recorded, and no interpolated data. The first column contains all recorded time stamps (combined from all available measured rasters). The second column contains all recorded time stamps for a specific raster, e.g. 100 ms. The next columns show signal specific recorded values. The values correspond to the time stamps in the second column. If no value has been recorded for a signal at a specific time stamp, an empty cell is shown.
Two DXL formats are supported by V8.7. These differ in the handling of enumeration signals. In DXL format (ASCII Multi-Rate V4.0) the verbal strings are stored in the file. The format DXL INCA dialect corresponds to the format created in INCA as ETASGroupAscii (ASCII (Multirate-Write only). In this format, for enumerations their numerical values are stored, more precisely their decimal values before the verbal conversion has been applied.
In contrast to multirate file formats, all single rate file formats allow to have one time channel only, which can be a merged time channel (based on all time stamps from all rates) or, optionally, defined by an equidistant rate. As a consequence, such files contain typically (constantly) interpolated data.
V8.7 provides an interface to define such file formats. The delivery of MDA includes already some file formats.
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DIA stands for "Diagra File format". Besides signal names and data also units are given.
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MRF
MRF stands for "Measure data refiller format". It is a textual (ASCII based) file format. In the data block, each line starts with an index (row counter) followed by the time stamp. The time line can be a merged raster from all signals rasters or, optionally, a resampled raster. At every time stamp a signal value is given, if needed with an interpolated value, which is the reason for "refiller" in the file format name.
MRF stands for "Measure data refiller format", which was introduced as a first format with refilled (i.e. interpolated) data in an early version of MDA. The format is characterized by an index in the first column which acts as a row counter. Additionally, MRF includes meta information such as device and unit for the exported signals.
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PEMS CSV
A comma-separated values (CSV) file is a delimited text file that uses a comma to separate values. Each line of the file is a data record. Each record consists of one or more fields, separated by commas. recorded with Portable Emission Measurement Systems (PEMS)CSV stands for "Comma-separated values". Ideally, this should be a CSV file according to Real Driving Emissions (RDE) standard for measurement file format of PEMS.
To support in MDA your own measurement files in CSV format follow the description below for defining INI files for ASCII formats in general. -
TSV
A tab-separated values (TSV) file is a delimited text file that uses a tabulator to separate values. Each line of the file is a data record. Each record consists of one or more fields, separated by tabulators.
TSV stands for "Tab-separated values". It is reduced to the minimum. The first row contains pure signal names, any following row item stamp and the corresponding values.
For different ASCII format files, i.e. with different file extensions, separate INI files can be created, and will be supported after a restart of MDA. To support differently structured variants of the same file extension, one INI file can be created. If such a combined INI file is applied to interpret a given ASCII file, the first defined structure will be used, which allows to load the file. Therefore it is important to define in the INI file first the more detailed variants, and the most general one at the end.
To define a specific ASCII-based textual format, do the following:
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Navigate to the following folder:
%ProgramData%\ETAS\MDA\8.x\CorePlugins\Etas.TargetAccess.Targets.MeasureFile.Formats.AsciiConfigurable\Examples
There you find the files:
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exampleAsciiFormat.ini
Contains the information how the file must be structured. Note that only the information as described in this file is available when writing a new format. Other contents will not be generated.
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exampleAsciiFile.exampleExtension
Provides an example of a measure file for the above mentioned INI file.
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Save the INI file for the new file extension in folder. The contents in the subfolder /Examples will be ignored by MDA. Ensure that for each file extension only one INI file is available. Also file extensions for formats supported by V8.7 directly must not be used again. Otherwise, conflicts will be caused that might lead to errors.
Loading the contents of Excel files in MDA opens the various analysis capabilities for data in XLS, XLSX or XLSM file format. A similar approach as for supporting customer-specific files in ASCII format is used. Customers can define their own INI file describing the structure of the Excel file. Within one INI file, multiple structures can be given, and MDA will use the first one which matches. If an Excel file includes multiple sheets, each sheet is loaded, and the sheet name is handled as the signal’s raster information. Sheets that cannot be interpreted are skipped.
The folder for customer specific Excel file format description is: %ProgramData%\ETAS\MDA\8.x\CorePlugins\Etas.TargetAccess.Targets.MeasureFile.Formats.Excel
An example INI file including a description how to define its contents can be found in the subfolder /Examples. The contents of the subfolder will be ignored by MDA.
Bus Trace files
Besides measure files, MDA also supports so-called Trace files from CAN Bus and LIN Bus. For more details see the chapter Loading Bus Trace Files (BLF, ASCII, MDF)
see also